glossary
dBFS tells you how close a digital signal is to full scale. It does not tell you how loud the mix feels.
dBFS means decibels relative to full scale. In fixed digital audio, 0 dBFS is the top of the scale; positive sample values above it cannot be stored without clipping.
Most DAW meters show peak level in dBFS. A signal peaking at -6 dBFS has 6 dB of sample-peak headroom before full scale.
Two mixes can peak at the same dBFS value and feel completely different. One may have sharp transients and low average level; the other may be dense, compressed, and much louder.
That is why dBFS peak readings should be paired with loudness metrics such as LUFS and with true peak checks for delivery.
dBFS is useful for keeping plugins, buses, and exports away from overload. It is less useful as the only target for mastering loudness.
Meter Core helps separate peak headroom from perceived loudness so you can make level decisions with context instead of one meter.